Love You When You Whine

If you have kids than this is the gift to remind them and you Why you love them, even when they whine!!! A great gift for older kids 8 & Up, especially for teens. (Just because something has pictures in it, or is in picture book format doesn't mean its appropiate for all ages. There are many graphic novels aka comic books that are not suitable for the preteen set.) It's tongue-in-cheek and I've even used it in my picture book storytimes with 3-5 year olds and their parents. We all laughed and discussed how not to behave. If your child is going to do everthing he sees, reads, hears, then remove all stimulus from them immediatley, because they have no will of their own! I feel it's good to have a chuckle at oneself and one's children every so often, unless of course yours is the perfect exception to all rules, then no laughing allowed!!!

Unlike the previous reviewer, I think that this book offers a huge opportunity for discussion of a) appropriate behaviors with children and b)the fact that a parent's love is unconditional. All kids get frustrated and hit, or whine, or have a tantrum. Given perspective, they also know that these things are wrong. I think that this is a sweet book that can deepen communication and love between parent and child.

My sister-in-law gave me this book for my birthday, and I'm pretty sure my three year old son inspired her to purchase it. He has done almost everything in the book the adorable kitten does, so of course he LOVES to read this with me! The illustrations are wonderful and make even the worst of behaviors (hitting) easier for a young child to talk about. Even the mother cat in the book is priceless, with her great facial expressions of mingled patience and disbelief. When we read this book, we laugh, we talk, and we hug at the end. I always appreciate children's books that are good for parents too, which this one certainly is.